About 30 supporters of same-sex marriage demonstrated in front of Fairbanks City Hall and marched in the light snow on Saturday, probably the farthest north location to join the national protest against Prop 8. Irina Rivkin, a lesbian singer/songwriter from California, performed at the protest.
“[Irina] wrote a skit about ‘octogenarian marriage,’ equating it with the gay marriage debate (the joke being that eighty-somethings can’t have kids, and a lot of people are grossed out by eighty-something sex),” wrote
ORBITALDIAMONDS. “Then she sang a song about bringing her girlfriend home to her conservative Russian mother, who eventually came to like the girlfriend, and it made me cry.”
“The Fairbanks protesters eventually marched down Cushman Street to Airport Way to wave signs, [Kristen] Magann said. A couple of protesters performed a skit and one sang a lesbian love song.
“We didn’t meet with any adverse attitudes except from a cabbie who asked if we were supporting ‘real marriage,'” Magann wrote in an e-mail later in the day.
“When the protesters told the cab driver that they were advocating for same-sex marriage, the driver sped away, Magann said.
“At its height, 32 people participated in the Fairbanks demonstration.”
After the protest, Kristen wrote this message on the Facebook page:
“Thank you thank you thank you for coming out and showing your support for equality today! We had such a good turnout and I hope you are all as inspired and pumped up about the movement as I am. Just because the protest is over, the struggle is not.”
Please share your story about the Fairbanks protest. (Post it in the comments.)
Friday, 14 November 2008 – 5:11 PM
| Comments Off on Juneau’s "Mobile" Prop 8 Protest
All three of Alaska’s main cities are participating in Saturday’s protest against Prop 8!
While Equal Rights supporters in Anchorage and Fairbanks hold Fight the H8 protests, Juneau NOW and their friends are holding a ‘mobile protest’ in solidarity:
I would like to be part of this national day of protest. So here’s the plan and I hope you’ll all join me. I’m going to put a sign in my car window and be a sort of mobile protester as I do my Saturday errands and schlep my kids to and from soccer games. I’ve attached my sign and would be honored if some of you want to use it and join me. Or you can modify it as you please, or make your own. You can find other suggestions at
Join the Impact.
Please spread the word.
I’ll honk if I see you!
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and straight citizens will take to the streets of Anchorage and Fairbanks on Saturday Nov. 15, 2008 to protest the passage of Proposition 8, California’s anti-gay marriage amendment, and the lack of LGBT equal rights in Alaska.
Tens of thousands of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people and our allies have taken to the streets to show outrage with the outcome of California’s Proposition 8. Prop 8 is a Constitutional Amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage, taking away a right that was granted before the vote. Same-sex marriage bans also passed in Arizona and Florida. The outcome of these propositions has angered the national gay community and our supporters. Many feel as if they are second-class citizens, but the fight is not over.
On Saturday, November 15, the LGBT community and their supporters will take to the streets in what could be the largest organized protest since the Civil Rights Movement. To date, more than 250,000 individuals have pledged to take part in the nationwide event and descend upon the City Halls, State Capitols and the Nation’s Capitol to make their voices heard. Signs, posters and numerous websites have already been created and the word is spreading quickly throughout the nation. JoinTheImpact.webpaint.com lists protest locations in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.
The message is simple, yet profound: Equal Rights for All.
The organizers of this nationwide event stress that these will be peaceful demonstrations. “Let’s move as one full unit, on the same day, at the same hour, and let’s show the United States of America that we too are United States citizens equal in mind, body and spirit and deserving of full equality under the law.”
The Protest / Movement is scheduled to take place across the nation at the same time: 1:30 PM Eastern, 12:30 PM Central, 11:30 AM Mountain and 10:30 AM Pacific on Saturday, November 15th, 2008. Those interested in attending this historic event may find their local protest location by visiting: http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com
ANCHORAGE
- WHAT: Prop. 8 Protest – Equal Rights
- WHO: LGBT and straight citizens who support Equal Rights
- WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008; at 12 Noon*
- WHERE: 550 W 7th AVE, ATWOOD Building
*We are not the only city holding the protest at a different time. But if you feel that it is important to be there at 9:30, then go and make your voice be heard! (and stay for the noon rally if you can.) Thanks.
FAIRBANKS
- WHAT: Prop. 8 Protest – Equal Rights
- WHO: LGBT and straight citizens who support Equal Rights
- WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008; at 9:30 a.m.
- WHERE: 800 Cushman Street, CITY HALL
UPDATE: The organizers called the protest for NOON, and sent the press release to the media. We are not the only city holding the protest at a different time. But if you feel passionate about being there at 9:30 or cannot join us at noon, then go and make your voice be heard, more power to you! (and send the photos to Bent Alaska.) Thank you.
On Saturday November 15th, people in cities all around the U.S. are coming together to take a stand for equality. To date, more than 250,000 have made the pledge to take part in this national protest. Join the movement! For more information visit
http://jointheimpact.com/The Anchorage Protest
We are protesting in front of the Atwood Building, 550 W 7th Ave. between E and F Streets. Please bring a sign and DRESS WARM. Spread the word!
TIME??
If we follow the national movement and hold our protest to coincide with all the others, we would hold it at 9:30 a.m. in Alaska. However, the last time we held a protest early on a Saturday morning, people said the same thing but did not show up early! Many showed up around noon, after the early group left. So this time, maybe we should do what works here and call it for noon, or compromise on 11 a.m., despite the national timing.
What time will you commit to showing up?
Wednesday, 12 November 2008 – 11:01 PM
| Comments Off on Fairbanks Fight the H8 Protest, Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m.
On Saturday November 15th, at *9:30 a.m. our time,* people in cities all around the U.S. are coming together to take a stand for equality. To date, more than 250,000 have made the pledge to take part in this national protest. Join the movement! For more information visit
http://jointheimpact.com/The Fairbanks Protest
We are protesting in front of City Hall, located at 800 Cushman Street, at 9:30 a.m on Saturday Nov. 15. Please bring a sign and a candle and DRESS WARM. Remember to tell your friends and families – Let’s get as many people out there as we can!
We are NOT trying to be anti-church or anti-religion, and this is a peaceful protest. We are protesting for EQUAL RIGHTS for ALL, no matter the sexual orientation. Please make signs in accordance with that. Sign ideas here:
http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Protest+SignsFacebook group: Protest Prop 8 in Fairbanks.
I hope that the people whose hearts are invested in this will show up despite the early time. I think the fact that we will be protesting at the same time as everyone else in the country really makes an impact.
Thanks to everyone for the emails and offers to help out!
– Kristen, Fight the H8 protest coordinator for Fairbanks
UPDATE: Anchorage protest is Noon at the Atwood building. Fairbanks is at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall. Check
the press release for details. Thanks.
Alaska is joining the national protest against Prop 8!
Rallies are planned in Anchorage and Fairbanks on Nov. 15 at 9:30 a.m., to coincide with the 10:30 a.m. west coast/ 1:30 p.m. east coast protests.
Many gay and lesbian couples from Alaska were married in California this summer, and many more want the option to marry. Alaskans held several No on Prop 8 fundraisers, wrote to friends and relatives in California urging them to vote No, and a few traveled there to work on the No on 8 campaign.
The passage of California’s anti-gay marriage amendment is also personal to gay and lesbian Alaskans because we experienced similar votes. Gay marriages were banned in Alaska by a constitutional amendment passed in 1998 after a mean-spirited campaign by our opponents, and our fellow Alaskans voted to take away our Court-granted family employment benefits in the advisory vote of April 2007. (The benefit vote was non-binding, and the benefits remain, for now.)
Twice in the last decade, we lived through months of public debate on whether we are citizens or abominations. Twice, a majority of our neighbors and coworkers voted against our humanity. We struggled to remain positive, productive residents of a state that does not consider us ‘equal under the law.’
Alaskans will protest the passage of Prop 8 on Nov. 15, in support of marriage equality and in solidarity with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities protesting at the same time all across this country. Please join us!
Sunday, 9 November 2008 – 8:01 PM
| Comments Off on "The Laramie Project" Brings the Truth about Hate Crimes to Fairbanks
Matthew Wayne Shepard was an openly gay university student who was brutally attacked near Laramie, Wyoming in October 1998 and left to die, tied to a fence in the middle of the prairie. He died several days later.
“The Laramie Project” is a play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reactions of the people of Laramie to Shepard’s murder. The play draws on hundreds of interviews with inhabitants of the town in the months after the incident and during the trial.
Theatre UAF is presenting “The Laramie Project” along with a panel discussion “Live and Let Live: The Local Context of The Laramie Project” after the 2 pm performance of the play on Saturday November 22.
“We really wanted there to be some kind of discussion, so the many issues raised in this get further attention and so people can feel really involved,” said Carrie Baker, local director of the play. “We wanted a forum for dialogue. If nothing else, if people to talk about this and other hate crimes, it is a step in the right direction.”
Panel discussion members will include Kayt Sunwood of the UAF Women’s Center, Peter Pinney of Cooperative Extension, and Chris Coffman of the UAF English Department.
“The Laramie Project,” presented by
Theatre UAF at the Salisbury Theatre, 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 14, 15, 21 & 22, and 2 p.m. on Nov. 22, 23. The discussion “Live and Let Live” follows the 2 p.m. performance on Nov. 22.
Tickets: $15 adults, $12 seniors, military and UAF employees, $7 students, available at the UAF Wood Center or the Theatre UAF box office:
www.uaf.edu/theatre/seasonRead the News-Miner article about the
local production of “The Laramie Project.”
Read the powerful editorial by current Juneau resident and former Wyoming resident Leslie Wood about Matthew Shepard’s murder and anti-gay hate crimes, printed last month on the 10 year anniversary of Shepard’s murder:
Remembering Matthew Shepard.
Friday, 7 November 2008 – 5:02 PM
| Comments Off on This Week in GLBT Alaska 11/7/08
Check out this week’s events from Alaska GLBT News.
For full listings, news briefs and up-coming events,
subscribe to AGN, the weekly email newsletter.
Juneau
SEAGLA Social Fridays 6-8 p.m.
Fairbanks
Irina Rivkin, plus Alma and Inna 11/8, 6:30 p.m. at UAF’s Schaible Auditorium
Fairbanks PFLAG Meeting 11/9, 4 p.m.
“The Laramie Project” Play and Discussion at Theater UAF, 11/14-11/23
Anchorage
Mr./Ms./Miss Gay Alaska Pageant Show 11/8, 8 p.m at Mad Myrna’s
Trans Support Group, Sundays 4-6 p.m. at the GLCCA
Hump Day Happy Hour, Wednesdays 5-7 p.m. with The Last Frontier Men’s Club
Alaska Women Write, Thursdays 6-8 p.m. at Immanual Presbyterian Church
Craft and Chat, Thursdays 7-9 p.m. at the GLCCA
Monday, 3 November 2008 – 9:48 PM
| Comments Off on Just Say No to Mike Kelly
“Make no mistake, provision of benefits to homosexual pairs will be just the beginning. Bets are on that the next lawsuits will come from shacked-up heterosexuals and common-law marriage folks who will claim the Supremes have treated them shabbily when compared to homosexual pairs.”
– editorial by Rep. Mike Kelly on partner benefits for gay and lesbian state employees (12/29/06)
Rep. Mike Kelly co-sponsored the $1.2 million advisory vote bill to block same sex employee benefits granted by the Alaska Supreme Court. Kelly is hoping his north Fairbanks district re-elects him to the state legislature. I’m hoping they don’t.
1) Sarah Palin endorses him,
2) His campaign ads are just as offensive as he is,
3) he is part of the lawsuit to stop or delay the abuse-of-power investigation of the Palins,
4) homophobic gay basher doesn’t even come close to describing him,
5) he, along with Palin and other homophobes in the Lege, spent 1.2 million to hold that nasty, discriminatory advisory vote on whether or not the constitution should be amended to prohibit same-sex couples from receiving the same benefits as hetero couples (which thankfully failed),
6) he’s Pete Kelly’s brother,
7) During his tenure as CEO of GVEA, the Intertie was conceived and permitted – the latter occurring without a Best Interest Finding made by the State- thanks to legislation sponsored by his bro,
8) he makes little effort to hide his disdain for the “little people” (i.e. everyone else except his bizness cronies),
9) he holds everyone else to a different energy standard than himself (we should all turn off our lights and conserve fuel, while he flies all over in his private plane),
10) he has a low opinion of Natives (although I am sure he would righteously deny it), and indeed of anyone who is not white, Christian, conservative, and hetero,
11) he writes vituperative, mean opinion pieces as a state legislator,
12) he’s buds with the sewer mafia and Seekins – need we say more?
Gov. Sarah Palin wants a federal ban on same-sex marriage, but gay and lesbian Alaskans support the right to get married.
An unknown number of gay and lesbian couples from Alaska have been legally married in California since the state Supreme Court struck down their ban on same-sex marriage. Although not valid in Alaska, the marriages are recognized by several states and countries.
Will the right to marry be taken away by California’s Proposition 8?
When the California Court granted gay and lesbian couples the right to marry on May 5, LGBT Alaskans celebrated the news.
“LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT,” Shelly
commented, and Koukla wrote, “Finally! I would love to be in San Francisco tonight.”
“It is a great day for humanity that this important state Supreme Court acknowledged that gay and lesbian Americans are due the same rights under the constitution as other Americans,” said Tim Stallard of Fairbanks, writing for Alaskans Together.
We knew the decision would be challenged, and Alaskans began donating money to support marriage equality.
“This good news definitely impacts us personally as Alaskans,” said Marsha Buck of PFLAG Juneau. “Way to go California! I’m sending off several personal checks to make certain this decision is not overturned in November.”
“I intend to give more money to our side in that campaign than to any in my life,” said Sara Boesser, author of Silent Lives: How High a Price?
A few weeks after the decision, the Juneau Pride Chorus collected donations for Equality For All during “
Songs for the Soul,” their 10th Anniversary Spring Concert.
Alaskans also held two Equality For All: NO on 8 fundraisers and set up a state donation page for the NO on 8 campaign.
Juneau residents
Jumped the Broom in Solidarity and Celebration of Love and Marriage at a wedding party hosted by a lesbian couple who were married (again) in California, eighteen years after their original non-legal wedding.
Many individual Alaskans donated to NO on 8, and Elias Rojas registered an
Alaska Fundraising page to track our contributions.
“Why should Alaskans care what happens in California?” Elias wrote in
his letter to Alaska’s LGBT community. “Simply put, [Prop 8] will not only eliminate the right to marry by same-sex couples in California . . . but it will also be an extreme step backwards for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) community’s efforts to achieve civil equality in Alaska and across the country.”
Prop. 8 is unfair, unnecessary and wrong. Special interest groups behind Prop 8 have engaged in a deceptive campaign to confuse voters. Nearly every major newspaper in California, and a broad range of groups and leaders representing teachers, nurses, seniors, business and labor, oppose Proposition 8.
The polls are close. We can save this basic human right, for California and for all of us.
—–
This post is in honor of Write to Marry Day. Please join bloggers around the country and around the world on Wednesday, October 29 to blog in support of marriage equality for same-sex couples and against California’s Proposition 8.
Check out the many wonderful Write to Marry posts listed on
Mombian.
